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Crescent Nebula – NGC 6888

Here is Crescent Nebula (NGC6888) with OIII (Oxygen III) narrowband layer (that is creating the blue halo around this nebula).

This is a cosmic bubble about 25 light-years across, blown by winds from its central, bright & massive star. The central star is classified as a Wolf-Rayet star i.e. the star is shedding its outer envelope in a strong stellar wind, ejecting the equivalent of the Sun’s mass every 10,000 years. Burning fuel at a prodigious rate and near the end of its stellar life this star should ultimately go out with a bang in a spectacular supernova explosion. Found in the nebula rich constellation Cygnus, NGC 6888 is about 5,000 light-years away.

It’s named Crescent due to it’s shape. Now, some call it Euro Nebula as its shape matches the currency sign.